Micheala’s FFA State Convention Wrap-Up

Have you ever seen Lincoln when a sea of blue comes to town? I have and it is quite the sight. A little over a week ago I was able to attend the 90th Nebraska FFA Convention in Lincoln. This was the first time I attended a convention since I was in high school. It was like walking back into high school, but a few years older. What a surreal experience.

Whenever I attended a Nebraska FFA Convention, it was to participate in a speaking event as a part of my FFA chapter. I always loved attending the Nebraska FFA Convention, I got out of school, spend time with my friends, meet new people and perform a speech that I had worked so hard on. Attending convention was something I always looked forward to and was an achievement that I was proud to get.

This year I was able to attend convention again but for a completely different reason. I assisted Kurt and Maile with junior high and high school workshops. It was a completely different perspective for me because I never attended workshops when I went to convention. I always knew the student side of things and never took the time to see convention from the other side. Now that I am an adult and an event coordinator, it was interesting to see that side and soak in what I witnessed. I knew that putting on a convention takes a lot of planning, coordinating and work, but I never really noticed it until I attended as an adult.

Something else that I really enjoyed was being a part of a workshop. When I attended state convention, I was busy competing in a speaking event so I never was able to attend workshops. It was fun getting to be a part of a workshop, but it was even more rewarding getting to see Kurt and Maile do something they are exceptionally good at. Kurt and Maile have a knack of working with kids, motivating them and providing them with a fun atmosphere. There is never a dull moment in one of their workshops. Watching them provided me a lot of insight on what I need to do whenever I am in the situation of creating curriculum for a workshop.

I have so many fond memories of the Nebraska FFA Conventions I was able to attend when I was in school. They are memories that I still cherish today and I hope every high school student has the opportunity to create their own fond memories. I am grateful to be able to add memories to this new chapter in my life and I look forward to adding more in the years to come.